Series on three destructive and unfortunate events that occur in church: Pt I - Hypocrisy.

The Unfortunate Things Christians Do. (Things that drive away church growth.)
“The sermon you are about to hear is extremely unpleasant. In this story, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning, and very few happy things in the middle. This is because not very many happy
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THE FALSE CLAIMS AND EMPTY TRAPPINGS OF HYPOCRISY WILL BE EXPOSED AND CONDEMNED FOR WHAT THEY ARE
This was true for the fig tree that Jesus cursed
This was true for the nation Israel who rejected their Messiah
This is true in our lives when we fail to produce the normal fruit of a Christian
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Hypocrisy is deliberate deception, trying to make
people think we are more spiritual than we really are.

THE DEADLY SIN OF HYPOCRISY
Acts 4:34-5:11
“BUT” -starts chapter 5. The “buts” in the Bible are hinges on which great doors swing. They always mark a decisive change in the story. The incident of chapter 5 begins in chapter 4. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a
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A call to holiness to thwart the accusation of hypocrisy in the church.

Holiness – The Answer to Hypocrisy
Romans 12:1-2, Various Scriptures
I. Introduction
Over the past 4 weeks we have taken a rather extensive and intensive look at holiness.
The first week we looked at the importance of holiness in our lives. We saw that holiness is not just some nice
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Why do some people think that they can benefit from pretending to be something that they are not? Dishonesty is a serious sin against God. Ananias and Sapphira offered to sell their property and give the proceeds to the church, but they lied about giving

1. Why do some people think that they can benefit from pretending to be something that they are not? Dishonesty is a serious sin against God.
Ananias and Sapphira offered to sell their property and give the proceeds to the church, but they lied about giving all the money to God while keeping
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In what way was Christianity new and improved from Judaism? Why is it inappropriate for Christians to boring and depressed? Why do so many people have the idea that Christians are narrow minded and uncompassionate people? How can we balance celebration in Jesus with a serious commitment? Well
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INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Can you tell me the one verse in the bible everyone seems to have memorized?
• How many times have we just taken a look at another person and made a judgment about them. We take one look at them and we think that we know everything about them?
• Have you ever felt the
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People who refuse to attend church often point to the failings of church people as their excuse for staying home. This sermon deals with the fact that church folks are not perfect. An amusing story to illustrate the points is included.

Don’t Expect Church People To Be Perfect!
Philippians 3:4-14
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
3For we are the circumcision, who
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With a croaky voice filled with the bile of his past and exposed by his dementia he shouted "He's a fraud! He's a fraud! Don't listen to him! Don't listen to him! He only wants your money! He's a fraud!" It was disconcerting to say the least.

Part 1 - Genesis 20:1-10 - HE'S A FRAUD! HE'S A FRAUD!
Diary entry - "Full circle! Here I am again. Dealing with the same old things over and over in my life. You would think that eventually I would get it - that God wants to fulfill His purposes in my life if only I'd GET OFF THE ROUND-A-BOUT.
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Jesus says that there will be both good & evil people in this world, & they’ll be living side by side. Even the church will not be immune to this mixture. (Powerpoints available - #156)

MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(The Powerpoints used with this message are available at no charge. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #156.)
ILL. When was the last time you overheard a
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According to statistics, revealed by Christianity Today, 85 percent of our country claims to be near the cross, classifiying themselves as Christian. But, being near cross may not be enough. This sermon will focus on three groups of people that were nea

Near the Cross
John 14:19
Introduction:
Our culture is saturated with marketing that attaches a jingle, catch phrase, or symbol to a product so that we, the consumer, make a connection by sound or sight and become loyal to a brand or company. Here are some jingle examples, please finish
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“Judge not, lest ye be judged!” This is one of the most widely misused verses quoted among non-Christians and Christians alike. Passing judgment has a completely negative connotation to it. But there is such a big misunderstanding about this subject that

TO JUDGE OR NOT TO JUDGE; THAT IS THE QUESTION
INTRODUCTION: “Judge not, lest ye be judged!” This is one of the most widely misused verses quoted among non-Christians and Christians alike. It’s like our trump card. Whenever we hear someone addressing a sin in our life we want
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INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Have you ever been around folks who will do good things, but they want to make sure others know they did it? LOOK AT ME!
• For some it is all about looking good.
• In a small college town a tavern frequented by students ran the following ad in the campus paper during
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examining those who appear to be true disciples but are nothing more than false disciples.

John 18:1-18:2
Disciples Of Christ
The other eleven disciples were used of God in amazing ways. Their lives prove that ordinary people can be used of the Lord in extraordinary ways. The life of Judas serves as a warning about the dangers of wasted opportunities, hardness of heart, wicked
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Continuing my Be-Attitudes series, focusing on the avoidance of hypocrisy and the need to focus on Jesus as the ONLY way to God.

The Be-Attitudes #7 – Pure in heart
Matthew 5:8; John 14:1-7
By James Galbraith
First Baptist Church, Port Alberni
March 4, 2007
Text
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house
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